Wound tumor virus is an invertebrate and plant virus found in the United States of America belonging to the genus

Phytoreovirus ''Phytoreovirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Reoviridae'', in the subfamily ''Sedoreovirinae''. They are non-turreted reoviruses that are major agricultural pathogens, particularly in Asia. Oryza sativa for RDV and RGDV, dicotyledono ...

and the family

Reoviridae ''Reoviridae'' is a family of double-stranded RNA viruses. Member viruses have a wide host range, including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, protists and fungi. They lack lipid envelopes and package their segmented genome within multi-layered ...

. The virus is a Type III virus under the

Baltimore classification system Baltimore classification is a system used to classify viruses based on their manner of messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis. By organizing viruses based on their manner of mRNA production, it is possible to study viruses that behave similarly as a di ...

; that is it has a double-stranded RNA genome. This genome is approximately 25,000 base pairs long and organised into twelve segments. All the viral replication occurs in the cytoplasm. The virus is 22% RNA by weight, the other 78% being structural proteins. Structurally, the virus is constructed from 7 different structural proteins. The capsid has icosahedral symmetry, is non-enveloped and around 70 nm in diameter. There is an inner-shell with a diameter of around 50 nm. More than 50 species of plants are potential hosts for Wound tumor virus. It was first reported in

Melilotus officinalis ''Melilotus officinalis'', known as sweet yellow clover, yellow melilot, ribbed melilot and common melilot, is a species of legume native to Eurasia and introduced in North America, Africa, and Australia. Description ''Melilotus officinalis'' c ...

. The virus causes tumors to form on the plant at the stem and roots – with the root tumors being more severe. The virus is spread by an insect vector – the

Leaf hopper A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and a ...

family, notably 'Agallia constricta'. Since viral replication occurs relatively independently of cellular processes, the virus also replicates in the insect vector.

External links

NCBI database entry for Wound tumor virus
Viral plant pathogens and diseases Phytoreoviruses {{botany-stub